'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
Walter Gillespie died last week at the age of 80.
“His only wish was that people would know for a fact that he did not commit that heinous crime,” says his daughter, who only wants to be identified by her first name Patricia, in a statement. “He finally got that wish.”
In 1984, Gillespie and his friend Robert Mailman were wrongfully convicted for the 1983 homicide of George Leeman in Saint John. Gillespie spent 21 years in prison, and Mailman spent 18 years in prison. Both men received full parole in 2000.
A full exoneration of Gillespie and Mailman occurred in January, with a judge apologizing for a “miscarriage of justice.”
An undisclosed financial settlement was reached between both men and the provincial government in February.
Mailman has terminal lung cancer, and has been told he only has a few months to live.
Gillespie’s daughter says her father died after an accidental fall at his residence on Friday.
“My father was a kind-hearted man,” says Patricia in the statement. “He did not have a mean bone in his body. I have never heard him speak ill or disrespectfully of anyone. He kept to himself and never caused trouble or drama. It has touched my heart, seeing comments from people who knew him, stating that he was a good man and will be greatly missed.
“Life was not fair to him, but he never let that turn him from a kind soul into a bitter or angry person. That is saying a lot because, ‘unfair’ doesn’t even begin to cover what his life was.”
Gillespie’s daughter says a private memorial will be held at a later date.
In a CTV News interview, Innocence Canada co-president Ron Dalton says Gillespie’s exceptional integrity as a person is one of the things he’ll remember most about him.
“For me, he stands as a picture of faithful friend and somebody who was very devoted to his principles,” says Dalton. “For 40 years he stood by his friend Mr. Mailman, when he could’ve walked away from this situation. He refused to say he saw something he didn’t see, or heard something he didn’t hear. And he paid dearly, with his freedom for those 40 years.”
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel
It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.